Credit: FlickrWith one foot in both camps, recently-appointed DC Studios head James Gunn might’ve just hinted at a crossover between his franchise and the MCU, which could have some major ramifications for the future of superhero movies as we know them.
Who Is James Gunn? Marvel History, Upcoming Projects
Gunn, the creative mind responsible for bringing the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy series to life, has quickly established himself as one of the most trusted directors in the superhero genre. Currently, he’s set to wrap up his time at Marvel with the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), which arrives in theaters on May 5. The movie will mark the conclusion of the Guardians franchise as a whole, which very well might be linked to Gunn’s short-lived firing from Marvel Studios back in 2018.
James Gunn’s Collaboration With DC
DC Studios quickly leaped at the change to recruit Gunn into their ranks after news of his firing broke, with the director signing on to helm the sequel to 2016’s unremarkable team-up flick, Suicide Squad. However, Gunn had already started penning the third Guardians installment and couldn’t bring himself to leave the project behind, agreeing to finish it after Marvel quietly reinstated him in 2019 following fan backlash.
His foray into the DCEU with The Suicide Squad (2021) was generally well-received by both fans and critics, who praised the director for revitalizing the DC franchise after a long line of box office flops. But throughout working with DC on both The Suicide Squad and its spinoff Peacemaker series, Gunn seemed to have set aside his feelings and maintained a “very close” friendship with Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige. Still, Gunn insisted that his final Guardians film would be his last collaboration with Marvel and was later appointed cochair and co-CEO of DC Studios in 2022, firmly cementing his loyalties.
Did James Gunn Just Tease a MCU/DCEU Crossover?
But while it might seem unbelievable—and even like a strange fever dream for some fans—Gunn recently implied that there might be a crossover between the DCEU and the MCU further down the line. Gunn sent fans into a tizzy during a recent press junket for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when Fandango asked him to give his thoughts on Marvel and DC potentially crossing over, saying:
I think there’s always the possibility of that. I think that would be a fun thing for fans to see. But I do think it’s just about grounding the Marvel and DC universes right now and trying to make them each as strong as possible.
After having worked both sides of the coin, Gunn seems open to the idea of an eventual crossover and has clearly considered the prospect before. He pointed to his friendship with Feige, explaining that even though there is “some rivalry” between the superhero companies, they both have the same long-term goal in mind:
I think that the crossover I like is that [Kevin Feige] and I are very close friends. So, we talk all the time. I think that the idea of a rivalry between Marvel and DC, of course, there’s always going to be some rivalry. But what’s really important to me is that we embolden the movie-going experience. And the theater-going experience is something that survives on big spectacle movies today.
While speaking, the director was admirably neutral about the matter, and seems to not want to pit each of the studios against each other, explaining, “a dollar for Marvel is not a dollar less for DC:”
So, if we’re really going to allow it to thrive that means we want good movies to be made, and that’s going to happen with Marvel movies and DC. And contrary to popular belief, a dollar for Marvel is not a dollar less for DC, quite the opposite. You make good Marvel movies, it brings people to theaters, and they go see more good DC movies. You make good DC movies, it brings them to the theater, and they go see good Marvel movies.
How Possible Is a Justice League-Avengers Crossover?
This isn’t the first time Gunn has mentioned the idea of a MCU-DCEU crossover. Before being hired by DC Studios, Gunn revealed in June 2021 that he has “casually talked” to the top powers at both Marvel and DC about a potential crossover, calling the idea unlikely but possible.
But would seeing the Avengers and the Justice League share the big screen be a complete impossibility? Not entirely. In the early 2000s, the studios released a JLA/Avengers comic event published from September 2003 to March 2004, providing ample source material for a potential movie adaptation. We’ve also gotten nods to DC IPs in recent Marvel productions, with Superman getting name-dropped in Eternals (2021) and Kevin Bacon even doing a Batman impression in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022).
For now, Gunn seems to be setting his sights firmly on the future of DC, though fans of both franchises would surely celebrate his return to Marvel in the form of a crossover. A showdown between the Justice League and the Avengers would have the potential to become one of, if not the biggest cinematic events in the superhero genre’s history. And after having played both sides, Gunn would undoubtedly be the one to lead it. While his recent remarks aren’t a promise, they do tease at something that could be wildly exciting for the future of these two superhero companies.
Do you think a DCEU-MCU crossover will happen under Gunn’s leadership? Let us know in the comments below.